OmniTRAX debuts rail safety technology on new Texas short line
Henry Posner III of IAIS believes Newton’s role in rail history is under-appreciated
Royal Gorge Route Railroad launches fundraiser for wildfire recovery
Railroad members! If you want to be featured in this section, please email us the link. You can also tag us (@ASLRRA) in your social media posts. Interested in seeing your railroad showcased in your local newspaper? Contact Amy Krouse for assistance.
The early-bird registration deadline is tomorrow, July 16 for ASLRRA’s Fall Super Regional Meeting, taking place Oct. 5-7 in St. Louis, Missouri.
New for the fall meeting, registrants can attend any of the offered education sessions, including those that are part of the Finance & Administration Seminar and General Counsel Symposium. This will allow attendees to broaden their industry knowledge and understand hot topics of interest across many industry verticals.
In addition to education sessions delivered in small groups, education will be delivered via panel sessions during General Sessions, and informally in committee meetings and Sandhouse Sessions.
ASLRRA’s Fall Super Regional Meeting combines all the Association’s fall meetings into one top-notch event while retaining aspects of the smaller meetings that attendees have come to appreciate and expect.
Register today to lock in the best rates, and be sure to secure hotel lodging before the Sept. 10 cutoff date.
ASLRRA welcomes organizations interested in sponsoring this year’s inaugural event. Visit ASLRRA’s website to learn more or contact meetings@aslrra.org to ask questions and purchase a sponsorship.
ASLRRA has published its most recent Short Line Carloads Report. Carload volumes dipped slightly from April 2026 to May 2026, but year-over-year (YOY) comparisons show volume stayed essentially flat.
Compared to last year, originating and terminating trips were up 5% while bridged movements were down 11%. The commodities that grew the most YOY were petroleum, agriculture, mining and coal. The report includes a table showing each commodity group and the YOY percentage change of carloads handled.
Carload data is based on a custom short line carload report created in cooperation between ASLRRA and Railinc based on waybill data submitted by railroads.
This work product may not be disseminated without permission granted by ASLRRA. Contact ASLRRA at foelsner@aslrra.org for all inquiries.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has extended the comment period for two notices of proposed rulemaking (NPRMs) that would rescind the agency’s final rules concerning certification of dispatchers and certification of signal employees. The new deadline for comments is Aug. 13.
On July 1, the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen requested a 60-day comment period extension for both NPRMs, noting it needed more time to evaluate the impact of the rules and develop comprehensive comments. The FRA partially granted the organization’s request.
ASLRRA plans to comment on the two NPRMs. The FRA issued the NPRMs to rescind both final rules back in May, in response to petitions for reconsideration of certification final rules published in 2024. The two original NPRMs to rescind the rules can be found at the following links: Certification of Signal Employees and Certification of Dispatchers.
ASLRRA was one of the organizations that petitioned the FRA to reconsider the final certification rules. The final rule requires railroads to develop written programs for certifying signal employees and dispatchers, as well as providing formal training and certification revocation processes.
In its petitions (signal employee and dispatcher), ASLRRA recommended specific rule changes and also endorsed petitions for reconsideration made by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) and the Commuter Rail Coalition.
On July 14, the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Environment Subcommittee held a markup of seven bills, including the Lifting Overburdensome Commerce Obstructions and Motives (LOCOMOTIVES) Act.
ASLRRA supports the bill, which would prevent states from superseding federal standards with their own laws. The bill arose from the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) efforts to get a waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to implement its In-Use Locomotive Regulation, which would have imposed such burdens on railroads that some California short lines would have been put out of business if forced to comply.
Know a company that would benefit from joining and participating in ASLRRA? Please contact Vice President, Membership Danialle Lovik via email or at (202) 585-3443.
Tiez Technologies develops cloud-based railroad software with a Geographic Information System (GIS)-first approach, centered around Tiez RailPlatform — a modern railroad GIS platform and GIS software ecosystem. Specifically designed for short line and regional railroads, Tiez RailPlatform helps teams with rail risk assessment, track mapping, infrastructure visualization, and operational efficiency. The platform provides tools to support regulatory compliance and safety initiatives while delivering shared, network-wide spatial context through a well-connected library of applications enabling more informed decision-making across all levels of rail operations. Primary contact and President, Tim Brauer, can be reached at tim.brauer@tieztechnologies.com or (207) 945-8999.
Colliers has experience in writing and administering numerous state and federal grants. They have long been recognized as a trusted partner and advisor for architecture, engineering, planning and program management. Their proven capabilities have resulted in efficient, economical and viable infrastructure projects that reflect the needs of their clients.
Click here to learn more about ASLRRA’s Member Discount Program and view all available products and services, or contact ASLRRA’s Sabrina Waiss for more information about becoming a Preferred Provider.
Check out ASLRRA’s On-Demand Webinar Library to view the following popular webinars from 2025, presented by subject matter experts and including engaging audience Q&A at the end of the presentation.
ASLRRA’s On-Demand Webinar Library offers more than 200 recordings on a variety of topics. Click here to log in and access the library.
Limited number of seats available!
FRA Part 243 Minimum Training Standards and the Impact on Part 214 / Part 217 Training Requirements
July 29-30 (Wednesday and Thursday), San Diego, California
The seminar will offer an in-depth review and discussion of Part 243 Minimum Training Standards to ensure railroads have a complete understanding of the requirements, tools, and resources, along with available templates, plans, and policies. The speakers will also address how Part 243 interacts with training requirements of Part 214 Roadway Worker Safety and Part 217 Efficiency Testing.
Click here to see additional upcoming seminars as well as event details and online registration and hotel booking links.
Fred Oelsner is attending the 2026 Esri User Conference in San Diego, California. He is working in support of ASLRRA’s efforts to improve the GIS and data tools utilized in the Association’s advocacy work and operations. While there he will also engage with other short lines and industry partners in attendance.
ASLRRA maintains an industry calendar featuring events that may be of interest to members. If you have an industry event you would like included on the calendar and possibly in Views & News, please send relevant event details and links to Mariel Takamura for consideration.
Nucor Corporation has joined the RailPulse coalition as a shipper industry group member.
As North America’s largest steel and steel product manufacturer, Nucor operates a large railcar fleet. By joining RailPulse, Nucor can share railcar data that will improve fleet visibility and result in better-coordinated operations with railroad partners.
RailPulse was started in 2020 by a group of rail industry stakeholders including ASLRRA member parent companies Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services Inc. and Watco, as well as associate business members GATX Corporation and TrinityRail. The goal of the organization is to create a neutral, open-architecture, industry-wide railcar telematics platform to improve supply chain visibility and improve rail service.
The National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association (NRC) is accepting applications for its 2026 scholarships. There are three undergraduate scholarships and one trade school scholarship.
Applicants must be a full-time employee of an NRC-member company or the child or grandchild of a current NRC-member-company employee. Individuals must also be enrolled as a full-time student at a trade school or an accredited college or university and must be enrolled for a full year if they receive a scholarship. Applications are due August 14.
Use the link above for more information or click here to go directly to the scholarship application.
Views & News is published by American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association.
Please contact Mariel Takamura, associate editor, with questions or comments.
